Some intresting political updates which would see B back in power in Italy.

Italy's Government Poised to Fall
Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008 By JEFF ISRAELY Prime Minister Romano Prodi before addressing lawmakers at Montecitorio hall in Rome, January 17, 2007.
Andreas Solaro / AFP / Getty
Article ToolsPrintEmailReprintsSphereAddThisRSS Romano Prodi has had a long history of taking his political hits, brushing off his blue suit and getting back up for another day. But the former and current Italian Prime Minister may be about to suffer the knockout blow on a career that stretches back to 1978, when the ambitious economics professor became one of the youngest cabinet ministers in the country's history.

After a key centrist ally yanked support this week from the fragile center-left government, Prodi no longer has a working majority in the Italian Senate. By virtually any reckoning in Italy's complex political arithmetic, this should spell government crisis — and, it would seem, the final bell for the 68-year-old pol, who was resurrected after his last fall from power in Rome by becoming president of the European Commission in 1999. When asked by reporters "How's it going?" just before his address to the Italian Parliament on Tuesday, Prodi declared his faith in his own survival skills. "Very well," he said. "I think I can make it this time, too."

We'll see. He may endure a Wednesday evening confidence vote in the Lower House of Parliament, but unless he receives unexpected support in the Senate from the center-right opposition — led by his nemesis, Silvio Berlusconi — it looks like "ciao-ciao" for Prodi. Italian President Giorgio Napolitano could call for immediate elections, or assign a caretaker government to usher in a new electoral law and other much-needed reforms. Most pundits predict that the next national showdown at the polls will feature Berlusconi against Rome's mayor and leader of the newly formed Democratic party, Walter Veltroni. But already Tuesday, Italian dailies were speculating that Prodi would try to fend off Veltroni and take on Berlusconi again.

However the current drama shakes out, the long-term prospects for Italy's political life appear bleak. Since eking out a win in April 2006 over controversial media mogul Berlusconi, Prodi's reign atop a fractious nine-party coalition has been an example of Italy's endemic political paralysis. Prodi has been busy trying to fend off — and recover from — a half-dozen near-crises since taking office 20 months ago, rather than focus on much-needed reforms to the pension and justice systems. Meanwhile, state air carrier Alitalia bleeds money, and its hoped-for merger with Air France-KLM may now be put back on hold as the political class focuses on fighting among itself.

The long-predicted government collapse was triggered last week, when influence-peddling charges were filed against Justice Minister Clemente Mastella and his wife, who is a local politician in the Southern region of Campania. The minister resigned his cabinet post amid dramatic declarations of his love for his wife and family. After a weekend of back-door maneuvering (and reports that he wouldn't take Prodi's calls), Mastella announced his definitive "basta!", saying his party, tiny but crucial, would no longer support the government.

In a characteristically proud and pedantic speech before Parliament on Tuesday, Prodi challenged his fellow politicians to vote him out publicly rather than cut deals behind closed doors. After the speech, Berlusconi ally Gianfranco Fini saw the speech as evidence that the battered Prime Minister was already starting to dust off his suit. "Prodi opened his [next] electoral campaign today," he said. This time, however, there may be no race left to run.

Personally, I've always thought that Calciopoli had political intensions too. The whole thing exploded just weeks after B. left the PM spot, and Prodi, like it is said in the article, his biggest nemesis, most likely was contacted by Inter (Telecom), the tapes were made public. It was just the perfect moment for Prodi to kick his biggest opponent down (specially since he was back to his president job at Milan). For me that's the reason why it was made public, cause I'm pretty sure it happens in every single league were there's big money around (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, League 1...mostly, in some leagues in South America it may also happen).

Conspiracy Theory: That said, I'm waiting for Calciopoli II, all those favorable calls Inter has been getting, with Italy going to the Euro (and everyone keeping in mind that the last 2 mayor trophies Italy has won were during big football scandals), and B. returning to the PM position, are just all the setup for Calciopoli II. I don't know how this one will help out Italy though, as Materazzi would be the only player from an involved team (oh well, put Udinese, Fiorentina, maybe Juve again, but it seems were back to goody goody relations with them, so my bet is that this time Roma will be involved). Bring on the chaos.

if anythin'... i want to see both Inter & Roma punished... these were the 2 teams that benefitted from Calciopoli... i'm sure Roma sucked up to Inter & offered a helpin' hand behind the scenes so they wouldn't suffer like the rest...

and for old times sake... throw in Le Zebre to accompany the Giallorossi & Nerazzurri...

if anythin'... i want to see both Inter & Roma punished... these were the 2 teams that benefitted from Calciopoli... i'm sure Roma sucked up to Inter & offered a helpin' hand behind the scenes so they wouldn't suffer like the rest

if anythin'... i want to see both Inter & Roma punished... these were the 2 teams that benefitted from Calciopoli... i'm sure Roma sucked up to Inter & offered a helpin' hand behind the scenes so they wouldn't suffer like the rest...

and for old times sake... throw in Le Zebre to accompany the Giallorossi & Nerazzurri...

i would feel good about that too..but not for long..
seria A wouldn`t be exciting at all anymore..if those 3 teams went down,only milan and maybe fiorentina would be `top clubs`,most of the great players from those 3 clubs would leave italy to play in epl or in la liga,and italian football would be fucked up..as a result we would be fucked too,as players wouldn`t want to play boring games all the time..

on the other hand,if only inter goes down,knowing how loyal most of their players are,we + juve + roma could make our teams stronger by buying them,and it would make seria A more interesting..inter would be fucked up,and italian football would be much better without them,at least for a season or two..

i would feel good about that too..but not for long..
seria A wouldn`t be exciting at all anymore..if those 3 teams went down,only milan and maybe fiorentina would be `top clubs`,most of the great players from those 3 clubs would leave italy to play in epl or in la liga,and italian football would be fucked up..as a result we would be fucked too,as players wouldn`t want to play boring games all the time..

on the other hand,if only inter goes down,knowing how loyal most of their players are,we + juve + roma could make our teams stronger by buying them,and it would make seria A more interesting..inter would be fucked up,and italian football would be much better without them,at least for a season or two..

Exactly.. all 3 teams being demoted would be bad for the serie a and ultimately bad for milan... However, just inter being demoted is hysterical and good for everyone (inter fans excluded).

Meanwhile in other news, Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani was in Barcelona last night to pick up a Fair Play prize on behalf of the club.

The Rossoneri received the award during the 60th edition of the 'Great Gala of Sports' organized by the Spanish daily 'El Mundo Deportivo'.

Milan were chosen as the winners due to their conduct during the European Super Cup final against Sevilla on August 31, 2007.
Sevilla player Antonio Puerta had just days earlier died tragically, and Milan’s attitude during the match, especially in dedicating their victory to the player was seen as a beautiful gesture.

THE perma-tanned tycoon, Silvio Berlusconi, has launched a record fifth bid for the Italian premiership by pledging that his centre-right coalition will cut taxes and stop public prosecutors using telephone taps in corruption inquiries.

Berlusconi, 71, and his followers celebrated in typically flamboyant style, with champagne and car horns hooting through the streets of Rome last week, when Romano Prodi’s government, the 61st since the war, fell after less than two years in office.

Prodi’s coalition collapsed after losing a confidence vote in the Senate, the upper house. His centrist ally, Clemente Mastella, the justice minister, had pulled out of the coalition after he and his wife were linked to a corruption case.

Berlusconi will meet Giorgio Napolitano, the president of Italy, as part of a series of talks between the head of state and political leaders to resolve the crisis. Berlusconi said he will call for early elections which he wants by mid-April.

He said one of the first laws he would push through on regaining power would be to end the use of phone taps, other than in mafia and terrorism cases.

Anyone ordering or carrying out unauthorised telephone intercepts, which he called a violation of privacy, would face a five-year jail sentence. Editors who published them would be fined up to £1.5m.

Telephone taps have played a crucial part in several corruption investigations involving Berlusconi and his powerful media interests. Cases against him have either ended in acquittal or been thrown out when the statute of limitations expired.

Elections will pit Berlusconi, who has twice served as prime minister, against Walter Veltroni, 52, the mayor of Rome, who has taken over the leadership of Prodi’s party and become the standard-bearer for the centre left. Opinion polls give Berlusconi a clear 12-15 point lead over Veltroni, a former communist.

Today the mother of our president Silvio Berlusconi died in her house in Milano at the age of 97.
May she Rest in Peace and may our president get over this sad period in his life. Although she was old to lose a beloved person is always the saddest event which could happen in your life.
Rest in peace MAMA BERLUSCONI

Today the mother of our president Silvio Berlusconi died in her house in Milano at the age of 97.
May she Rest in Peace and may our president get over this sad period in his life. Although she was old to lose a beloved person is always the saddest event which could happen in your life.
Rest in peace MAMA BERLUSCONI